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Examining Calvinism: There is None Righteous
An examination of Scripture on Calvinism concerning "there is none
righteous" in response to what Calvinists insist on teaching from Romans
3:10. Many Calvinists who insist that man is dead in their sins, evil
from the sin inherited and many other things state that there is none
righteous. I will say this and make it very clear that I do not believe
anyone of themselves is righteous or that they are without sin, but I do
believe the Scriptures teach that people were called "righteous, just,
upright" and things of that accord which were in reference to their godly
lives. The following verses will be showing that there were people who
were called righteous or those who were living righteous lives.
"Then the LORD said to Noah, "Enter the ark, you and all your household,
for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time."
(Genesis 7:1)
"There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was
blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil." (Job 1:1)
"5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the
assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish." (Psalms 1:5-6)
"Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy,
all you who are upright in heart." (Psalms 32:11)
"The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous And His ears are open to
their cry." (Psalms 34:15)
"The wages of the righteous is life, The income of the wicked,
punishment." (Proverbs 10:16)
"The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of
understanding." (Proverbs 10:21)
"The righteous one considers the house of the wicked, Turning the wicked
to ruin." (Proverbs 21:12)
""But they, righteous men, will judge them with the judgment of
adulteresses and with the judgment of women who shed blood, because they
are adulteresses and blood is on their hands." (Ezekiel 23:45)
"So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked,
between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him." (Malachi 3:18)
"so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes
His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous
and the unrighteous." (Matthew 5:45)
""For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to
see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did
not hear it." (Matthew 13:17)
"5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias,
of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron,
and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both righteous in the sight of
God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the
Lord." (Luke 1:5-6)
"By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which
he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his
gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks." (Hebrews
11:4)
This information is given to show that the Scriptures do state people
being called righteous. This is given to show that those who use
Romans 3:10 to prove that there is none who are righteous attempting to
prove the doctrines of "Total Depravity" is clearly inaccurate.
What did Paul mean by "there is none righteous" in Romans 3:10?
In Romans 3:10 we read: as it is written, ""THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS,
NOT EVEN ONE;" If you continue to read the context of what is being
said Paul is addressing being justified by faith in Christ compared to
being justified by the works of the Law. Read Romans 3:19-31 and see
that Paul is addressing that no one is perfect or righteous in the sense
of them being without sin, and that we all fall short to God's glory.
Paul would not be saying anyone was not "righteous" in the sense of people
living godly lives and being called "righteous." Consider what Paul
said of himself: "4 although I myself might have confidence even
in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I
far more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the
tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to
zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the
Law, found blameless. 7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things
I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count
all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ
Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count
them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not
having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is
through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the
basis of faith." (Philippians 3:4-9) Paul said of himself that
he was concerning the Law "blameless." What does Paul mean by that?
Paul was stating that he was living a life that was in accord with the
Laws of God, not that he was without sin. So in context and knowing
a bit about the life of Paul we know that Romans 3:10 is not proving that
man is totally depraved as what Calvinism attempts to teach.
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